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Very interesting. Personally i think technology is taking us backwards. Ultimately the yearning of any human – is for humanity to be expressed in and around their particular slice of reality (i believe). I think that eventually it will come full circle and people will re-embrace a retro movement involving actual in the flesh communication – longhand rather than shorthand – continuums of thinking rather than “bites” etc etc etc

I always remember being dismissive of a teacher of mine who rabbited on about Alvin Toffler and the book “future shock” in the 70’s. I take a different view now.

The guy is right – people have made and still make naive assumptions about technology. Just ask Alfred Nobel and Oppenheimer i guess.

Personally – i dont see that blogging does anything to further democracy. The standard of debate and engagement is reduced to a catfight in a dingy bar at the best of times. The ignorant pooling their ignorance together to come to equally ignorant conclusions sometimes.

The standard of debate and engagement is reduced to a catfight in a dingy bar at the best of times.

Some of your comments really make me chuckle. Thanks.

Yeah I think technology, like money, is just an ‘amplifier’ of whoever-whatever we are inside already.

Hateful racist prejudice or greed or colonial powerlust or …. ?? … (as well as “the good”) flows from people via whatever medium they have at hand.

Technology, surely, is neutral — with the exception of weaponry. But even there, the miniaturisation of electronics gained in the Space Race ended up being appropriated by the military industry … indeed, that was the idea, I’m sure.

It’s easy to be optimistic about new technology. It’s soooo seductive. The trouble is, it’s the same old reptilian brain (with instinctive xenophobia) in the driving seat.

-P

PS Tofler was right about each of us retreating to a technology equipped cocoon. IMO

Interesting choice/s of words pete. Lot of reference to racist prejudice, greed – colonial powerlust (makes my head spin) and to top it off …. that hoary old chestnut (instinctive) xenophobia?

One thing i’ve discerned about you Pete – is you never indulge in an idle use of words – everything is well chosen.

Technology develops and changes – mankind just doesnt – in my opinion. Technology is the bling we wear – when it comes off – its the same person it always was.

Reptilian brain?? Dont know about that Pete – i’ve met a few reptiles – even voted for one once – never seen-em with a brain though.

Technology leaves me cold frankly. People chase it like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. People dont change – they never have and they never will. Dont believe in evolution – people remain the same. Behind the “bolt-ons” – the optional extras – we still remain the same. Interested in the vids reference to Maslows hierarchy of needs.

Communication remains something that technology cant change or indeed replace. What technology seems to do – is breed a godlike arrogance that leads people and politicians to believe that the unwritten rules and laws of human interaction no longer apply. Yes they do.

I think we recognise the same innate problems with technology — the curses come with the blessings. You can take the man out of the jungle but you can’t take the jungle out of the man.

Colonisation is relevant to the discussion, as I see it, because it was *technological superiority* which allowed the ‘First World’ to so dominate and subjugate much of the rest.

A technology advantage, particularly in weaponry, combined with the innate sense of superiority which I hold is at the root of all us & them conflict (see: http://www.thepaepae.com/where-does-conflict-come-from/567/ )
i.e. ‘We are better than ‘the other’ … and all the prejudice that flows from that, (including xenophobia) has proved lethal to ‘indigenous’ peoples and culture.

It still leaves me breathless to think the slave trade — kidnapping Africans and enslaving them for generations — existed as part of civilised ‘Western’ economies for 300 years.

Good to be here Pete. You dont lambast me – you let me rave on endlessly and even let me call hilary barry into question without too much objection.

The opposite side to much of this – is that in the case of the slave trade for instance – slavery was practiced in the cultures that western powers drew slaves from – via often – muslim slave traders. African tribes practiced enslavement. Maori practiced it – and some latter day apologists seek to justify it. Maori practiced genocide – with the moriori – they were forbidden to marry and breed by their mainland maori oppressors. I heard one maori academic say – “at that time it was culturally appropriate…” or words to that effect. Good doco called the “feathers of peace” refers.

Slavery didnt really become a western issue again until the colonial empire era for the west. Money drove its acceptability into reality. Just as money drives a lot of bullshit now.

I take a slightly opposite view to you – i think that some aspects of culture need to be exposed for what they are … in many cases corrupt and self serving. People are accused often by the PC brigade as xenophobic when commenting on levels of immigration and cultural differences etc etc. We embrace multiculturalism in an unbridled and uncontrolled manner at our peril and ignore the lessons of history frankly – in my view. One mans xenophobia is another mans attempt to remain relevant and not be subsumed by another.

I think we do it all the wrong way round – instead of an attitude of “accept all without question” … the key to stabilility is to say “this is the standard we set – this is the template we embrace…” People are then clear on the matter. I think that unless that is followed as a direction – that we will see the growth of ultra nationalism and a repeat of the 1930’s.

I am not a xenophobe – i simply believe there are some simple and stark realities staring us in the face and we need to face them accordingly – not tut tut and bury them to emerge later as something we really dont need or want.

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